Scott Threlkeld, The Times-PicayuneAs Hurricane Isaac approaches, Eric Lorenz, 18, turns his T-shirt into a windsock Tuesday, near Salt Bayou in St. Tammany Parish. Lorenz, a crabber, said he drove down to Salt Bayou to see how his favorite fishing hole was doing.

Monday night, several area residents relocated their boats to that area in an effort to protect the vessels from the storm, Capt. George Bonnett said in a news release. Early this morning, one of the owners checked on his boat and discovered it had been broken into. He immediately called the Sheriff's Office and reported the incident.

Deputies responded to the scene Tuesday morning and began an investigation.

A short time later, a detective questioned Pittman, who was staying on a nearby boat, Bonnett said. During questioning, Pittman admitted he witnessed a friend of his and another man take property from three nearby boats and place the property on his boat, according to the Sheriff's Office. Further investigation revealed that Pittman participated in the looting, Bonnett said.

The property, valued at thousands of dollars, was recovered and has since been returned to its rightful owners, the agency said.

"We will absolutely not tolerate anyone preying on others during this time of disaster," Sheriff Jack Strain said in the release. "If someone loots a business or home in St. Tammany Parish, the full force of this Sheriff's Office will be dedicated to finding them, putting them in jail, and making sure they are charged to the full extent of the law."

Looting during a declared state of emergency carries a fine of $5,000 to $10,000 and three to 15 years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.